Electrostatic agglomerator having an improved discharge electrode structure



June 28, 1966 G. sTRUBLER 3,257,779

ELECTROSTATIC AGGLOMERATOR HAVING AN IMPROVED DISCHARGE ELECTRODESTRUCTURE Filed Sept. 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5+ F 34 l 72./ y

L @0f/4x0 l zo j June 28, 1966 G. STRUBLER 3,257,779

ELECTROSTATIC AGGLOMERATOR HAVING AN IMPROVED DISCHARGE ELECTRODESTRUCTURE Filed Sept. l5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent OELECTRGSTATIC AGGLOMERATOR HAVING AN IMPROVED DISCHARGE ELECTRODE STRUC-'EURE Gordon Strubler, Chicago, Ili. (1915 Homer-uic St., Honolulu 17,Hawaii) Fiied Sept. 1S, 1961, Ser. No. 138,393 4 Claims. (Cl. 5S--123)This invention relates to an electrode and more speciiically to Ianimproved electrode construction for use in an agglomerator shown anddescribed in detail in applicants copending application, Serial No.22,218 filed April 14, 1960, now Patent No. 3,110,580, entitled Devicefor Agglomerating Microscopic Particles.

The electrodes shown and described in the above-mentioned copendingapplication operate in a satisfactory manner. However, it has been foundthat the electrode disclosed herein is superior to the electrode in theaforementioned application. The present electrode is more effective inagglomerating particles in thatwith the same spacing and voltage agreater quantity of particles are agglomerated when the instantelectrode is used than when the prior art electrode is used. Theconstruction of the present electrode is also improved in that it allowsan easy exchange of one electrode for another when there is wear of oneof the electrodes. Furthermore, the electrode has a construction whichpermits it to be of light weight without substantial loss of strength.

Oher advantages and uses of the hereindisclosed invention will becomereadily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a perusal of theappended specification in light of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevation showing an agglomerator embodying thepresent invention mounted in an operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a fragmentary portion ofthe agglomerator shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4 4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of theinterior of the agglomerator showing the details of the construction ofthe electrode;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is -a cross-sectional View taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a mounting portion of the electrodeshown in FIGURES 6 and 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a portion of an electrode rod and studfor supporting an electrode.

Referring now to the drawings and especially to FIG- URE l, it may beseen that a smoke-producing furnace 10 is connected to a cyclone 12through an agglomerator 14, which is disclosed in detail in theaforementioned copending patent application, and the agglomerator isconnected to a casing 16 which conducts smoke from the furnace into theagglomerator and envelops the agglomerator.

The agglomerator 14 generally consists of a dielectric ceramic block 18which has a plurality of parallel apertures 20 extending therethrough. Apair of conductor rods 22 and 24 are fixed in one end of theagglomerator and are connected to a transformer 26 through -a bus barassembly 28. The conductor rods 22 and 24 which also form a portion ofthe means for cleaning the apertures are connected to a source of airunder pressure (which is not shownlthrough a valve 25. The other side ofthe transformer is connected by bus bar assembly 30 to a pair ofconductor rods 32 and 34, which rods are con- ICC nected to block 18.The transformer is electrically connected to a source of alternatingelectrical energy, which is not shown, so that the transformer has apotential between l0,000 volts and 30,000 volts on its output side.

Electrodes 36 are connected to rods 22 and 24, and thus to one side oftransformer 26. Electrodes 38 which are identical in construction toelectrodes 36, are connected to rods 32 and 34, and thus to the otherside of the transformer 26 so that there is an electrical potentialbetween the electrodes 36 and 38. Four electrodes 36 are positioned,respectively, in the center of four of the apertures 20 and extend -awayfrom their respective rods to the right as viewed in FIGURE 2. In likemanner, four, electrodes 38 are positioned, respectively, in the centerof the four remaining apertures and extend away from their respectiverods,but electrodes 38 extend to the left as `viewed in FIGURE 2. Theelectrodes 36 and 38 are coextensive for a major portion of theelectrode length as may be clearly seen in the drawings,

In this instance, each of the conductor rods 22, 24, 32 and 34 has anelectrode stud 40 fixed thereon perpendicular to the axes of therespective conductor rods. Each of the electrodes is secured to itsrespective electrode rod by means of stud 40.

Each of the electrodes 36 and 38, generally consists of a base 42 havingan electrode mount 44 formed integral therewith, which mountfrictionally engages its respective stud 40, and a plurality of coronaprotuberances 46 extending outwardly from the base, each of whichprotuberanee is identical to the other.

Looking now to FIGURE 7, it may be `seen that the specific constructionof electrode 38, which is also the construction for all the electrodes,is such that the electrode consists of four identical right-angle stripsor members 48, Si), 52 and 54. Right-angle strip 48 includes wall or arm56 which is formed integral with and perpendicular to a wall or arm 58.The strip 50 includes -a wall or arm 60 which is spot-welded to wall orarm 58 and has an integral and perpendicular Wall or arm 62 which isparallel to wall or arm 56. The third strip 52 includes a wall of arm 64which is spot-welded to wall or arm 62 and has an integral andperpendicular wall or arm 66 which is parallel to w-all or arm 60. Thefourth and last strip 54 includes a wall or arm 68 which is spot-'weldedto wall or arm 66 and integral and perpendicular wall or arm 77 which isspot-welded to wall 56 of the first-mentioned strip 48. Each of theabove-mentioned eight walls has a plurality of `protuberances 46 formedintegral therewith. The protuberances are formed by the removal ofnotches 72 from the walls4 so that there is a one-eighth inch spacebetween notches thus forming protuberances or tabs. The protuberancesare bent at 45 degrees to their respective walls so that there is anangle of degrees between adjacent protuberances as may be clearly seenin FIGURE 7. From the foregoing description and the FIGURES 6 and 7, itis evident that each of the electrodes has a cross-section which is inthe general form of a cross.

As was mentioned above, eachv of the electrodes includes an electrodemount 44 which cooperates with its respective stud 40. The electrodemount is formed by cutting out elongated notches 74 such as that shownin FIGURE 8 so that the stud may be received between the arms. inasmuchas each of the electrodes in this instance is made of a stainles steeland the cut-out portion of the notches 74 provide a space somewhatsmaller than the respective stud 40, the resilience of arms 76, whichare formed by the remaining material in the strips 48, 50, 52, and 54,urges the arms into engagement with the respective stud to x theelectrode to the stud and thus he conductor rod. It is readily apparenthow the electrode may be readily removed and replaced when there is anywear of the electrode by simply pulling the electrode off its respectivestud and pushing a new electrode onto the same stud.

The operation of the hereindisclosed electrodes is quite similar to theoperation of the electrodes described in the aforementioned copendingapplication. The transformer 26 is energized by a source of alternatingelectrical current so that there is a voltage potential of between20,000 and 22,000 volts between -adjacent electrodes. The presentelectrodes have a plurality of corona proturberances. There is atendency of electrical charges to gather at the protuberances and it hasbeen observed that an increased amount of particles agglomerate on thewalls of the -ceramic dielectric block in a position adjacent to theprotuberances as shown in FIGURE 5 where mounds of particles 80 arepositioned adjacent to protuberances. Inasmuch as there are an increasednumber of protuberances, the effectiveness of the agglomerator isimproved.

From the foregoing description, it is readily apparent how the presentinvention may be economically manufactured and may be simply mounted inan agglomerator, and the replacement of the electrode is simplified.

Although a specific embodiment of an electrode has been shown anddescribed it will become readily apparent to those skilled in the artupon a perusal of the accompanying specification that there may be manyadditions, variations and modifications made without departing from thespirit and scope of the hereindisclosed invention. It is expresslyunderstood that the present invention is limited only by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an agglomerator including a dielectric block having at least apair of apertures extending from one end of the block to the other, asource of high volt-age alternating current, and a casing connected toone end of the dielectric block for conducting smoke to the apertures,the improvement comprising; an electrode positioned longitudinally ineach of said apertures and being connected to the source of high voltagealternating current to provide an electrical potential between theelectrodes, each of the electrodes including a plurality of elongatedangle members, each of said angle members having at least first andsecond side arms, said first and second side arms defining -an anglemember angle therebetween, the vertex of each angle member angle beingdisposed substantially at a common point, said side arms of said anglemembers extending radially outwardly from said common point, all of saidside arms being substantially longitudinally coextensive with eachother, the first side arm of each angle member being substantiallytransversely coextensive with and secured in facial engagement to thesecond side arm of an adjacent angle member to form a plurality of basemembers extending radially outwardly from said common point, the outerradial extremity of each base member terminating generally on a circlehaving its origin at said common point, longitudinally spaced apartpairs of substantially longitudinally coextensive protuberancesextending from the radial extremity of each base member to providelongitudinally extending rows of alternate recesses and pairs ofprotuberances on the electrode at the radial extremity of each of saidbase members, each pair of protuberances comprising first and secondsubstantially divergent protuberance members, the first and secondprotuberance members of each pair of protuberances being integral withthe first and second side arms respectively of the base member withwhich the pair of protuberances is associated, an obtuse angle beingformed and included between first and second protuberance members ofeach pair of protuberances and the first and second side armsrespectively of the base member with which the pair of protuberances isassociated.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the angle formed by thefirst and second protuberance members of each pair is substantially 3.The combination defined in claim 1 in which the longitudinal distancebetween pairs of coextensive protuberances is greater than the extent ofthe protuberances longitudinally.

4. The combination defined in claim 1, in which the angle members at`one end of the electrode have portions removed at the junction of thearms to provide a plurality of resilient gripping portions, and anelec-trode support is provided which is resiliently gripped by saidportions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 804,291 11/1905Wood 55-150 X 1,333,790 3/1920 Bradley 55-152 X 1,339,480 5/1920 Schmidt55--154 X 1,356,196 10/1920 Duffy 55-123 X 1,382,037 6/1921 Welch 55-151X 1,393,712 10/1921 Steere etal 55-123 X 1,456,044 5/1923 Strong 55-154X 1,959,752 5/1934 Wintermute 55-148 X 1,991,934 2/1935 McCray 55-103 X2,334,776 11/1943 King et al. 2,409,579 10/1946 Meston 55-152 X2,585,777 2/1952 Hills 55-52 X 2,672,207 3/1954 Hedberg 55-154 2,694,46411/1954 Wintermute 55-152 2,704,135 3/1955 Marriott et al. 55-151 X3,110,580 11/1963 Strubler 55-123 X 3,158,453 11/1964 Maartman et al.55--154 X 3,158,454 11/1964 Gustasson 55-154 X FOREIGN PATENTS 467,2671/1914 France. 1,028,559 2/ 1953 France.

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HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT F. BURNETT, CHARLES SUKALO,

Examiners. D. TALBERT, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN AN AGGLOMERATOR INCLUDING A DIELECTRIC BLOCK HAVING AT LEAST APAIR OF APERTURES EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE BLOCK TO THE OTHER, ASOURCE OF HIGH VOLTAGE ALTERNATING CURRENT, AND A CASING CONNECTED TOONE END OF THE DIELECTRIC BLOCK FOR CONDUCTING SMOKE TO THE APERTURES,THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING; AN ELECTRODE POSITIONED LONGITUDINALLY INEACH OF SAID APERTURES AND BEING CONNECTED TO THE SOURCE OF HIGH VOLTAGEALTERNATING CURRENT TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL BETWEEN THEELECTRODES, EACH OF THE ELECTRODES INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATEDANGLE MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID ANGLE MEMBERS HAVING AT LEAST FIRST ANDSECOND SIDE ARMS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIDE ARMS DEFINING AN ANGLEMEMBER ANGLE THEREBETWEEN, THE VERTEX OF EACH ANGLE MEMBER ANGLE BEINGDISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY AT A COMMON POINT, SAID SIDE ARMS OF SAID ANGLEMEMBERS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID COMMON POINT, ALL OF SAIDSIDE ARMS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH EACHOTHER, THE FIRST SIDE ARM OF EACH ANGLE MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLYTRANSVERSELY COEXTENSIVE WITH AND SECURED IN FACIAL ENGAGEMENT TO THESECOND SIDE ARM OF AN ADJACENT ANGLE MEMBER TO FORM A PLURALITY OF BASEMEMBERS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID COMMON POINT, THE OTHERRADIAL EX-